


Treasure

by Ryukin



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: First Kiss, First Love, M/M, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-23 15:49:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17686433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryukin/pseuds/Ryukin
Summary: Riku follows Sora to play pirates. He follows his heart and finds his greatest treasure.





	1. Chapter 1

“And this is my best friend, Riku!” Sora beamed, missing the way Riku shuffled his feet as he continued. “He's a keyblade master.”

 

“Well then, _Master_ Riku. Welcome aboard the _Black_ _Pearl_ ,” Jack Sparrow (“Captain,” Sora had quickly corrected Riku with a sharp elbow jab) gestured to the ship deck. 

 

Clearing his throat, Riku told him, “Just Riku is good, actually.” He hoped he wasn't blushing under Sora's complimentary tone. He heard Sora snort next to him and rolled his eyes. 

 

Jack shook his head. “It's never  _ just,  _ dear boy. Never strip your own title - the world will do that enough for you, savvy?”

 

Riku blinked. His eyes darted to Sora, head cocked and smiling next to him. “It's just - I'm just me, nothing special.” The pirate captain eyed him, then Sora, and hummed. 

 

“Whatever you say, young Master.” He turned and swayed his way to the wheel. “I have bigger fish and all that.” With a wave of his hand, the boys were dismissed. 

 

The ship came to life around them - men pulling anchor and fixing the sails to set course. The quiet lull that fell at their sudden arrival on deck was over. 

 

Sora, smiling wide, grabbed Riku by the hand and led him below deck. He gave him a quick tour of the ship. Riku watched his hands trailing over the wood planks and railings gently, like he was greeting an old friend. He couldn't help getting swept up in Sora's light. He felt the heat of it between their entwined hands and held tight. 

  
  


***

  
  


Yen Sid's teachings had started shortly after Riku and Sora had finished their separate errands after the Mark of Mastery test. Sora had been beside himself with joy at seeing Kairi again but she and Lea were taking a crash course in keyblade summoning and usage while he and Riku were cooped up high in the Tower with books and lectures and history lessons. 

 

Riku could see Sora's focus drifting further away every time he plopped down in the chair next to him. He had never been very studious. 

 

At first, Riku would catch him just staring out the window at the stars beyond. Then he doodled on the corners of his scrolls and books, and finally, he would give up on learning and play with the GummiPhone Chip and Dale had made for them. 

 

Riku's own GummiPhone buzzed and he glared over at Sora. He was at least  _ trying  _ to pay attention. Sora avoided eye contact and Riku checked his phone. 

 

_ I'm soooooo bored _

 

Riku smiled.  _ Pay attention, dunderhead,  _ he sent back. 

 

Sora read the text and turned to stick his tongue out at Riku. Riku ignored him until his phone buzzed again. 

 

_ Let's go on an adventure!! _

 

_ Can't, silly, we have to stay here and prepare for Xehanort's next attack. You know that.  _

 

_ But Rikuuuuuu I'm dying I have to get out of here _

_ I miss the ocean _

_ Just a quick trip I promise! _

 

Riku rolled his eyes. _ You don't have the power to leave.  _

 

_ But I know who does!  :) _

 

Riku ignored him. Sora never did take ‘no’ as an answer. He didn't even try to hide as he texted, not seeing Yen Sid glare at his lack of note taking. Riku kicked his foot but Sora continued. 

 

_ Come on *Keyblade Master* _

_ Unlock the Lanes Between _

_ I'll take you somewhere fun! ;D _

 

Riku sighed and let the GummiPhone hit his leg. He saw Yen Sid's attention turn to him with squinty eyed distrust. He quickly jotted down a note of what the old Master was saying about the Keyblade War but his pen slipped across the scroll when his phone vibrated on his leg again. 

 

He looked at Sora next to him, eyes on his own scroll, one hand fingers flying on his own phone finally hidden from the Master’s eyes. Riku had no idea how he could type so fast without seeing, and slyly checking the message when Yen Sid turned around, he stifled a laugh as he saw how. 

 

_ Vome om riki lets ho agter ckass meet mr om thr staors  _

 

He shook his head as he deciphered the misplaced letters and quickly sent back:  _ We need to study _

 

Sora checked the message and frowned. He fiddled with his phone and Riku waited a long moment for his reply. 

 

It was a picture file - opening it showed Sora in full puppy dog pout mode. It was not a picture he had just snapped. 

 

_ What in the worlds, Sora, did you have that waiting? _

 

Their teacher was shuffling through the pages in an old book with magic so Sora used his distraction to text something legible. 

 

_ Never enter battle without your weapons _

 

Riku laughed and regretted it instantly when Yen Sid's attention snapped back to him. 

 

“Excuse me, young man, I fail to see what is funny about the demise of thousands of young wielders.”

 

“Nothing, Sir. Nothing, I'm sorry.” Riku slid the phone in his pocket and paid attention to the lecture. Sora did as well, lasting a full five minutes before he texted Riku again. 

 

And their teachers had always thought Riku was the bad influence. 

 

He waited until he saw Sora squirm with impatience to check his phone. It was another picture, more close up, more pouty.  _ Please, Riku _ came through as he was typing a reply. As did another pouty face, sad eyes and full lips hitting Riku even through the picture. 

 

He erased the start of his second denial and sent _ That’s not fair  _ back, looking at his friends and rolling his eyes as he checked his phone. 

 

Sora smiled.  _ It's always worked for me before _

 

_ You're a brat.  _

 

Sora just glanced away him and shrugged, a cocky little half grin on his face. 

 

Riku was beat. He never could resist Sora.  _ 5 o'clock on the stairs _

 

Sora beamed as he saw his reply. Riku turned back to the lesson but found it hard to focus as he was counting down the time until their clandestine escape. 

  
  


***

  
  


They were soon hard at work - Sora halfway up the rigging untying a knot holding the main sail askew after a brush of rough wind, Riku, new and untrusted onboard, heaving heavy cases and kegs from bow to stern and below decks. When no one was looking, he'd cast Zero Gravity to save his back. 

 

He was guiding a thus floating powder keg to the weapons cache when a loud crash hit the deck above him. His heart stopped. “Sora!” He haphazardly dropped his load and ran upstairs two at a time, calling his keyblade in preparation for a fight. 

 

He heard hoarse yelling and slid around the stairwell doorway, blade raised and hand up defensively. 

 

He didn't see Sora anywhere and yelled for him again. The was a flurry of action on the deck and he cast Stop at the fray when he saw Sora's hat roll away from the commotion. 

 

As he crossed the deck, he saw it was three bodies tangled together, flashes of bright blue and green amidst drab browns and stripes and feathers …

 

Feathers? 

 

The Stop was wearing off and familiar long limbs untangled first, head shaking and ears flapping - Riku recognized Goofy as he heard Donald squawk indignantly. Sora was laughing face down on the deck, pinned under the duck working at unruffling his feathers. Riku's keyblade dematerialized.

 

“Riku! Look who dropped in!” he smiled, unbothered while Donald sat on him and adjusted his bandana. 

 

“H-yuk, literally. Sorry about that, Sora,” Goofy brushed Donald off and moved to help Sora. 

 

Riku grabbed Sora's hat and handed it back. “Um. Sorry about that, I thought …” 

 

“You didn't think, you just - ack!” Donald was shushed quickly by Goofy. 

 

“You were just protecting Sora, that's fine. We sure made an entrance!”

 

“Yeah, you sure did!” Sora pulled them both into a hug and Riku frowned. 

 

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked. 

 

“Can't have the new keyblade master disappear! What were you thinking?” Donald poked him in the chest with his staff and Riku held his hands up in defeat. 

 

“The king sent us! Just to make sure you're safe, he knows what it's like,” Goofy winked. Riku chuckled, knowing Mickey _ did _ understand. 

 

“Are we expecting anyone else to fall from the sky today?” Riku jumped as Jack snuck up behind him.

 

Sora snapped to attention, as did his friends. “No, Captain!”

 

“Good. Then I suggest you all get back to work, eh? The ship won't run herself.” The few men on Jack's crew jumped first, Riku next, going to move the last chest downstairs. “Sora, come with me,” Jack requested. “If you're going ta keep crashing into my ship, you need to learn to navigate.”

 

Sora's face lit up. He smiled wide, practically dancing past Riku after the pirate captain. Riku smiled back and watched him go. He blindly grabbed for the chest’s handle and missed, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from the duo at the helm.

 

He heaved the chest up, no magic, and slowly worked it toward the stairs. He almost ran into one of Jack's crew, Will Turner, he had been introduced. “Oh, sorry,” Riku stammered as his hand slipped. Will helped him rebalance the chest and looked up at the helm where Riku had just been watching. He glanced back at Riku and made a face before silently walking off. 

  
  


***

  
  


Riku found Sora at the helm, tapping his foot and whistling. Captain Jack was resting on the railing keeping half an eye on the boy, half an eye on his compass.

 

“Is that safe?” he asked half joking, nodding toward Sora. The pirate shrugged a shoulder, eyes not leaving his compass. Riku saw the needle rock back and forth. “Is it supposed to do that?”

 

Instead of answering, Jack handed it to Riku. As if magic, the face stopped its lazy tilting and pointed straight ahead at the ship's helm. He followed its point to Sora and smiled. 

 

“Where are we headed, captain?” he called. (“Not a captain,” Jack scoffed.)

 

Sora looked over his shoulder, grinning. “Taking her in to Port Royal, matey!”

 

“Due north, then, good Captain Sora.” 

 

Sora looked at him funny and raised his hand to look at the sun. “No, we're going south west. I guess it's a good thing we never took the raft out, huh? You'd get us lost!” He double checked their positioning and continued making minute steering adjustments. 

 

Riku shook the compass gently but it continued to point dead ahead at the south west. He handed it back. “I think this is broken.” 

 

Jack just hummed and ferreted it away in his coat. 

 

Riku walked over to Sora and leaned on the wheel's pedestal. “If you remember,  _ I _ was the captain then.”

 

“Yeah, captain of _ losing. _ ” Sora stuck his tongue out and Riku swatted his hat down into his eyes. Sora laughed and righted it. An unruly piece of his bangs hung in his eyes and Riku wanted to brush it back. 

 

“There's no heartless,” he said instead.

 

Sora looked thoughtful. “Yeah, I noticed that. I wonder why.”

 

“It's kind of nice.”

 

“Yeah, I guess.”

 

Riku chuckled. “Only you would miss heartless attacks.”

 

“Hey, anything's better than being cooped up in the Tower all day!”

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Riku teased. 

 

Sora pushed him off the wheel and Riku laughed as he walked away. The breeze whipped the loose shirt around his chest and he felt invincible. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre KH III.
> 
> Spoilers I guess for some game mechanics? No plot spoilage.

With Sora running off with Donald and Goofy to find treasure chests, Riku was left alone when they hit port. A crotchety looking pirate limbered up the stairs from below deck with a couple of mops and a scowl, beady eyes searching out the younger backs on deck. 

 

Riku suddenly thought it was the opportune time to check out Port Royal and followed a gang of shipmates down the gangway. 

 

The town was busy, people bartering through shop doors, the smells of food mingling with the smells of hard labor. Dogs and chickens ran about between legs and not for the first time, Riku marveled that a world such as this would turn a blind eye to visitors like Donald and Goofy and Pete. 

 

But if Sora's stories were true - skeletal undead pirates, sea monsters and curses - maybe they weren't that out of place. 

 

He dodged two children playing tag in the street and walked faster to catch up with the crew. When he caught up, he figured he would have found them even if he had gotten lost. Two seamen were under a building's eaves harassing someone they obviously knew, someone who looked as rough and capable as they. Riku ducked between them and into a tavern behind the rest of the crew. 

 

… Maybe he should have gone treasure hunting with Sora. 

 

The tavern was dark and loud and smelled of tangy ale. The pirates melted into the rest of the patrons with an ease that made the hairs on Riku's neck stand on end. This was a unruly crowd, and the corners of the room had the distinct smell of darkness. He didn't belong there. 

 

As he turned to leave, his shoulder was caught by a crewman. “Ahoy, young traveler! Ah've heard much about ye. Yer always in the boy's stories but never here.” The pirate smiled wide behind his big red beard. 

 

“Oh. Really?” He swallowed hard and wondered how far Sora had run his mouth. He _ knew _ to not mess with the balance of the worlds. 

 

“Aye. Come. Now that ye decided to grace Port Royal with yer presence! Drinks!” he ordered, shoving Riku into a chair at a long table of half familiar faces. 

 

“No, none for me, I was just about to -”

 

“About ta what?!” the man stopped him, slamming a full tankard down in front of him. 

 

“Go?” Riku finished.

 

The man laughed. The pirate on Riku's other side downed his drink and was eyeing Riku's. The redhead slapped the table. “We was just talking ‘bout our  _ exploits _ ,” the table exploded in raucous laughter, “And figured a fine young man as yerself would ‘ave something _ interesting _ to add.” He looked at Riku expectantly. 

 

Jealousy. Darkness. Fighting. Finding Sora. Finding himself. Traveling and fighting and protecting and fighting. “No. Not really. I just … travel around.”

 

“Well,” came a rough voice from the middle of the table, “If I traveled around so much I know  _ right  _ where'd I go ev'ry time.”

 

“Why ain't you there now 'en?” the man eyeing Riku's drink grumped. When the loud redhead on Riku's other side wasn't looking he slid the mug over to the man. 

 

“Been there,  _ done _ that, haha! Time and again! Need some'ne new.”

 

Red's attention was back on Riku, thumping him hard on the chest. “So you! You an’ yer travels, I bet you seen a lot -”

 

“Done a lot!” came from down the table. 

 

“Haha, indeed, we just want to _ hear. _ ”

 

“Hear what?”

 

He leaned into Riku's space conspiratorially. “Your  _ exploits,  _ boy!”

 

“A girl in every port!”

 

“A _ princess _ in every port,” the man Riku had slipped his ale said wistfully and belched. 

 

“A -” Riku sputtered, bewildered. “A princess, no, what -”

 

“Ah, maybe the young master ‘as nay the need for a princess at every port! Mayhaps ‘is heart is a'ready spoken for!” A loud pirate called from the corner, tankard raised in a cheer. Riku ground his teeth. 

 

“Aye, lad, tell us for whom your heart beats!” 

 

The cry raised a cheer in the room and bile in Riku's throat. He swept the room for exits and turned a plan over in his head on how to best escape a tavern full of drunk ruffians. 

 

“Or for whom _ you _ beat!” The room exploded in laughter and Riku thought of summoning a dark portal to swallow him up. 

 

“Oh, leave the boy be!” A tall man with one eye and leather skin clapped Riku on the shoulder as he rounded the corner from the bar. “Maybe he's like the captain and the very sea herself is the only mistress for he.”

 

Before Riku could stammer an answer, Jack's familiar voice broke thorough: “Aye, and what a mistress she is.” He smirked at Riku as he passed. “But even the most stalwart man may be persuaded to stray. A dalliance or two.” He stopped at the head of the table next to Will, who had been so quiet Riku hadn't noticed him. Jack's bejeweled hand wrapped around Will's shoulder as he leaned over him and stole his mug. Will scowled but let Jack continue. “You never know what truly makes yer heart beat until you let it lead you.”

 

“Uh,” was all Riku could muster. The question rang in his head,  _ for whom does your heart beat, _ and he couldn't hit a solid answer. His whole life, the only person had always been …

 

“I have to go.”

 

… It had always been Sora. 

  
  


***

  
  


Riku walked along the shore and tried to remember the last time he was really, truly alone. For the last weeks he had been training with Sora, in each others pockets like they were children again. Before that, it was Mickey, always helping, and training, and lending sage advice. 

 

He had had a moment alone, when he decided to pull closed the door to darkness, to save Sora and the worlds by sacrificing himself - a mere moment, a decision before the king arrived.

 

He had felt more connected, more tied to Sora at that moment than ever before. He had felt bigger than himself.

 

With his boots in the sand and head in a fog, he felt so small. 

 

He trudged through the shallows and back to the ship. It was quiet and alone and perfect. He let a small Fire burn at the end of his keyblade to dry his clothes as he wandered to the bowels of the ship. 

 

When he was young, he had found the secret place on the island, it's cool darkness, comforting. He still found peace in the dark. 

 

He found a cannon pushed back from its gun port and leaned against it. The sea breeze was sharp against his skin so close above the water. He shut his eyes and listened to the waves. 

 

After a few minutes, he heard someone else below deck as well - soft footfalls and the rustle of cloth.

 

“A  _ dalliance,  _ Jack? After all this - all this time, all this -”

 

“Dear boy,” Jack's reply low and smooth, “How something may _ start _ is no indication of what it  _ is. _ ”

 

“What it  _ is  _ is a lie! You said -” The man, Will, Riku guessed by the ire in his hissed voice, was cut off again.

 

“Ah, love, and when have you ever listened to the words of a pirate?” His voice dropped lower. “Always been one for  _ action,  _ myself.”

 

“Jack. Jack, now is  _ not _ the time.” 

 

Riku heard the soft thump of a body hitting wood and stood at attention. He set to call his blade when a soft sigh broke through the dark. Will repeated the captain's name breathless and without animosity and Riku’s eyes flew wide as he could only imagine what he was intruding on. 

 

He wanted to leave and give the two their moment alone but they had to be blocking the sole exit.

 

“We have to set sail,” Will said softly. A muffled reply caused him to laugh. “All hands are due back.  _ Later _ , Jack.”

 

“Now,” the pirate captain near whined. 

 

“ _ No. _ Not that I don't -” another laugh, bright like Sora's after a race, “I can't stand you,” Will said in the same tone Riku figured a profession of love would hold. 

 

The two muttered low together a moment until boot heels clicked above them. 

 

“Tonight, then,” Jack's voice rumbled. “Tell Miss Swan you're  _ mine. _ ”

 

“Yes, Jack. She knows. Get back on deck.” Will sounded exasperated. Riku heard footsteps go upstairs and decided to move. The corner he had been standing in was feeling suffocating. 

 

The recent memory of Sora laughing on the floor, winded after a spar in the highest spire of the Mysterious Tower crossed his mind. He could still hear Will's gentle sigh ringing in his ears

 

_ for whom does your heart beat _

 

and didn't notice until he ran straight into the man. 

 

Will was buttoning his shirt, the scarf he wore on his head held in his hand. Riku stepped back, “I'm sorry! I'm sorry.”

 

Will left his shirt half undone and glared at the boy. “It doesn't matter what kind of  _ master  _ you are, young man, it is not proper decorum, hiding and sneaking about in others’ affairs.”

 

“I didn't! I wasn't - not, not on purpose, I'm sorry.” He felt a blush rise to his cheeks. 

 

Will hummed and Riku sped past him and up the stairs. Sora and his gang were boarding the ship as he hit the deck. 

 

“Riku!” Sora cried. He gave the boy a half hug as he started emptying his pockets. “Look at all the treasure! Ow,” he shook his hand before removing a couple small white crabs from his coat pocket. They scurried to the corners of the ship as Riku watched, confused. Sora pulled handfuls of shining stones and doubloons from his pockets, handing a stone shining like the captured sun to Riku. “I found a Twilight gem! I thought of you.”

 

“Wow. It's lovely, Sora. This is all great!” He handed the gem back but Sora shook his head. 

 

“No, that's for you. Help me find a chest for all this treasure! We'll take it back to the Gummi Ship later.” He turned away, walking funny with bulging pockets. Riku slipped the warm shining gem in his vest, in the pocket over his heart, and followed. 

  
  


***

  
  
  


“You're the only one that doesn't expect me to save the universe.” Sora broke the silence they had fallen into, sitting on the bow of the ship and watching the waves sparkle with starlight. “You don't treat me … different.”

 

Riku smirked. “Well, that's ‘cause no one else had you following their heels like a lost little brother.”

 

Sora gasped, hand over his heart. “Little brother?! Is that how you think of me, Riku?” He couldn't keep the corners of his smile down. 

 

Feeling his own mouth pull back in a grin, he nudged Sora with his shoulder. “No. Not at all.”

 

“Good,” Sora said as he leaned into Riku's arm. He wistfully repeated himself as he failed to hide his goofy grin by nuzzling into his friend. “Let's stay out here tonight - under the stars, like we used to.”

 

Sora's dad had worked way too hard to cultivate the grass in their front yard, it always had weeds and prickly beach grass popping up, but the boys had loved camping out in it when they were little. They would sit and dream up adventures until they fell asleep in the starlight. 

 

“Of course,” Riku said. Sora fell back on the deck with a thump. He made an awed noise and Riku looked up at the sky around them. 

 

With no lights from land, there were more stars than Riku had ever seen - swirling around the Mysterious Tower included. Maybe this world just  _ had  _ more stars. 

 

He was pulled from his thoughts by Sora's grabbing hands on his vest, easily yanking him off balance and flat on his back beside him. Sora laughed and outshone every single star. 

 

Riku pushed him away, chuckling as his elbows squeaked against the deck they had swabbed earlier. 

 

“Rikuuuu-!” Sora whined. He pinned Riku's wrist to the deck after a short lazy tussle. He shook his hair from his eyes and Riku felt his pulse race against Sora's hand. They fell silent, staring at the sky. 

 

Riku felt Sora relaxing into sleep next to him. He stretched and shifted his hand until it was cradled in Riku's palm, back to front, and Riku wound his fingers between his. Riku followed Sora into his dreams.

  
  


***

  
  


Riku blinked awake, the orange light of dawn setting the hair of the boy above him on fire. 

 

Sora smiled. “The power of waking! I found it!” He poked sharp fingers up Riku's side again, pulling him from the last remnants of sleep.

 

“The power of  _ annoying _ ,” Riku corrected, pushing his hands away. “And you've always had that.” He yawned and cracked his back. Sora sat back on his heels with a grin. “What's going on?”

 

“Hmm?” The dazed look on Sora's face fell away. “Oh! We found the heartless!”

 

“What?” Riku leapt to his feet. The  _ Way to Dawn _ solidified in his hand. 

 

Sora smiled, calling the  _ Kingdom Key.  _ “Yeah. They're ships!”

 

Riku squinted over the horizon. “Ships have hearts?”

 

“Of course! Can't you feel the _ Pearl' _ s?”

 

“Maybe after the heartless, Sora?”

 

“Oh yeah!” Sora whipped around to the wheel. “All hands to battlestations!” he called, taking control of the ship. Captain Jack was leaning on the railing behind Sora, leaving him in control. Riku shrugged at him but Jack just made a ‘be my guest’ gesture at Sora. 

 

Riku saw a haze appear over the water and Sora directed their sails in that direction. Three ship bows came into view through the mist and Sora cried, “Cannons!”

 

The shots fired short. The second volley hit the closest ship, rocking it against its smaller neighbor. 

 

Tendrils of darkness trailed off the heartless ships. Riku tightened his grip on his blade. 

 

The third cannon strike was true, punching a hole deep enough to sink one ship and causing another to set ablaze. The largest ship was aiming right at their starboard. 

 

“Sora!” Riku braced for impact. He glanced back at Sora - one hand on the wheel, the other clenched in front of his chest in concentration. He threw his hand up and a powerful spell surrounded the _ Pearl  _ with an impenetrable wall of water. 

 

The enemy ship glanced off the barrier, slowing enough for Riku to see the heartless on board. He felt battle cry in his blood and saw a spot on the boom under the mainsail where he could land with a flowmotion jump. 

 

He leapt, hooking into the boom with the _ Dawn _ , and spun into an attack. He had taken down three heartless before he heard Sora hit the deck behind him. They fought back to back, quickly making mincemeat of the hoard. 

 

… Until a huge one with a six foot scimitar swooped between them from the lookout. Sora ducked and Riku attacked, swinging wide, leaving himself open. The heartless parried and rebutted fast, so fast, and Riku couldn't block the blade stabbing right at his chest. He stepped back, pain shattering against his breastbone and he fell. 

 

“Riku!” Sora swung his blade, once, twice, three times and the heartless was no match for the berserk rage brought against it. It was still a puff of foul darkness and a released heart when Sora fell beside him on his knees. His keyblade disappeared as he reached for Riku, Cure after Cure after Cure depleting his magic stores. “Riku!” he repeated, tearing at his vest.

 

Riku caught his hands and sucked in a breath, shaky after having the wind knocked out of him. Sora’s hands hurt where they were pressed against him. He grabbed his wrists and pushed him back as he sat up. 

 

“Riku,” Sora breathed, eyes wide with panic. Riku reached in his vest pocket and pulled out shards of the Twilight Gem. Sora looked at them, and back at Riku with watery eyes. He threw his arms around him, holding so tight as a single sob escaped his throat. 

 

“Sora,” Riku patted his back. “Ow. I have sharp rocks in my pocket.”

 

“Oh.” Sora reluctantly pulled back. He stood and offered his hand. Riku took it and Sora helped him up as he swiped his hand over his eyes. He wouldn't make eye contact.

 

Riku squeezed his hand. “You saved my life,” he said. Sora hummed and Riku gently turned his face toward him. “Sora,” he breathed. 

 

_ for whom does your heart beat _

 

Riku cradled Sora's face in his palm and leaned close. His heart hammered against the broken rock in his pocket. Sora signed and Riku kissed him. 

 

In truth, Riku had thought about kissing Sora before - in the quiet moments before sleep, the spaces between breaths where his heart reacted faster than his brain acted. He had thought about kissing him many times, enough times he should have been prepared. 

 

But, like always, Sora had to throw a curveball and he left Riku speechless as he took control of the kiss. 

 

On tiptoes, pointy elbows braced against Riku's bruised chest, he swept his hands over Riku's cheeks. Riku moaned and tried to turn away, embarrassed and overwhelmed, but Sora wound his hands in the hair at the back of his neck and held him in place. 

 

The world faded away. 

 

Sora's lips, chapped from the sea salt air, danced relentlessly against his own. They kissed softly as Riku tugged Sora to his body, unable to get close enough. 

 

Sora laughed under Riku's lips, hands falling from his hair to curl around his neck and he fell to his heels. Riku took a shattered breath and the world came spinning back in place around them. He heard commotion back on the  _ Pearl. _

 

The pirates on deck were hooting. Riku didn't think he could blush any harder. 

 

“That's well and good boys, but yer still standin’ on a heartless ship! Reckon we should destroy it, aye?” Jack yelled over. 

 

Sora was still laughing softly. He took Riku's hand and brushed their entwined fingers over his red cheek. He pulled Riku down for another quick kiss and grabbed the rope Gibbs swung over for them. One by one, they landed on the _ Pearl. _

 

Goofy caught Sora in a half hug headlock. “Finally, h-yuk.”

 

Riku blushed harder. Cannons fired around them and Sora grabbed Riku's hand as the ship rocked. More hooting erupted as the last enemy vessel sank below the waves. 

 

Over Sora's shoulder, Riku saw Will standing with Jack at the helm, hand outstretched. Jack signed dramatically and dug in his coat pocket. He dropped something in Will's hand. Will motioned for it to keep coming and Jack plunked a couple more doubloons in his waiting palm. 

 

Will pocketed the money and looked smug. Jack turned back around and his exaggerated scowl became a smirk as he winked at Riku. 

 

“Riku?” 

 

“Hmm?”

 

Sora ran his free hand over Riku's chest. They felt the broken gem shifting in his pocket. “Aww. Your treasure,” he frowned. 

 

Riku ducked his head and met Sora's eyes with a smile. “Gems are beautiful, but nothing could beat the treasure I already have.” Sora flushed and he captured his lips in a kiss, a kiss holding the promise of a lifetime more. 


End file.
